How are End of Course Assessments designed in terms of their reference?

End of Course Assessments are designed as criterion-referenced assessments. This means that they measure student performance against a predetermined set of standards or criteria rather than comparing students to each other. Criterion-referenced assessments aim to determine what students know and can do in relation to specific learning objectives.

By using this approach, educators can assess whether students have mastered the necessary content and skills defined in the curriculum. Such assessments provide clear benchmarks for proficiency, enabling educators to identify areas where students may need additional support and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to achieve the learning goals set for the course.

In contrast, norm-referenced assessments focus on comparing a student's performance to that of a peer group, which does not align with the purpose of many end-of-course assessments. Formative assessments are typically used to monitor student learning during the instructional process rather than at the end of a course, and adaptive assessments adjust the difficulty of questions based on a student's performance, differing from the standard benchmarks used in criterion-referenced assessments.